Clutch mechanism



CLUTCH MECHANISM Filed June 25. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l L. K. CHESWRIGHT CLUTCH MEcHANIsM Filed June 25. A192e 2 Sheets-Sheet -2 INvENToR July l, 1930.

Patented July 1 unirse [STATES Y i i 1,768,568.

:PATENT CET s vIinoNAnn:I {EITIIemiswnienr,#or sivII'rIIsIALLs, ONTARIO, CANADA, AssIeNon 'ro vFLNXOIIl TRANSMISSION LnvIIfrnI),V ormonoNrog'oNmAnIo, CANADA l Vsmurfen MEGHANISM" Appiieation sied June 25, 192s, seriaiNn. 285,116, and `in canada september 10,192,75 2,f

.This invention relates to a 4 clutch mechanism, as described in the present specifica* to a motor vehicle.l

tion .and illustrated in theqaccoinpanying drawings which form'part of the same. v

l The inventionxconsists essentially of thel novel 4features pointed" out broadly and specifically in the claims for f novelty fol-` lowing a description containing an explana`- tionin detail ofan acceptable form of the invention. v s

lThe objects of the invention'areto provide a clutch mechanismfthat may be applied-to motor vehicles, hoist drums',v or any clutch or` power transmission where a ychange'in'theV speed ratio between thek driving and driven members may bedesired; to provide a greater degree of iiexibility betweenr `said 'y members and a more kabsolute and convenient control of the speed Vratios than heretofore attainable in vthe known forms of clutches;,and to render unnecessary several different gear ratios or shifts in the transmission gear boxs- Figure l is a sideelevationvviewof part ofthe oil flow controlling means.A y f `ligure' is anjoutside end view ofone of .theoil plungers. s n Y s' n Figure 6 isa side-elevation viewof .part ,of the housing of the device.l v

`Figure' 7. isV a sectionview taken on line 7-.-7 inFigure 5; Y y Like4 numerals of reference indicate `rcorresponding parts in the various figures.

This invention may be applied to any formv of; power transmission where it is desirable to' change the speed ratio between the ldriving and the driven members, but isespecially adaptable to motorl vehicles, replacing the fusual friction clutch nowy used. "It may be ydesignedto replace the usual ily wheel, by

vandrone speed reverse, alsofa neutral position.

:14; is the usual l`clutch pedal arml fulcrurnedj of theldevice kas applied kleakage'of oilaround the rods 20.

'benin kit' enemy of to t e fly wheel. o Y

Referring to the drawings, 10 Aindicates f 'the device complete, being suitably bolted to ily wheel 12 of the. motoril1l. 13 is a transto the crank shaft instead mission ear-box connectedto the device by* the driving shaft 16 and havingthe usualv .drive shaftfl anCluniversal joint 17a; The

transmission is designed for one speedahead vat 17", and isf connected vby the usual means to thelclutchcollar, 18 ywhich acts on the ,f

`shoulders 19a 'formed'on the ringk19'connested 'to the oil' flow controlling mechanism.,A by the 'rods 20; the ring 19 'is f slidably ilean'd is tensioned tofnormally holdthe @pedal 14 .seas to fclose the ports 40. 1 '4 22 isj'a pack Lnut threaded onto the hollow Shaft 21 to prevent. leakage `'of oili around thefshaftl which is journalled therein. 22?t is a'lock'nut threaded on the shaft21 before the nut`22 is threaded thereon and locking s n* .the nut 22 againstrotation on the shaft 21;

27' through which the rods Y20 aresildably lthe raised hollowv portions 24 to prevent The oil may be drained and replaced fromV time to time through the two `fille-r holes r25k vformed diametrically opposite on the rear part kof the cover 26. The holes 25 kare suitably sealed by the plugs 25 threadedthere in jtially of the two parts 26 -and27 suitably The housing of the device'v consists essenjt'inount'e'don the hollow shaftk 21 and rotates f vtherewith.y `15 isa spring attached to the pedal 14 .-andpto afixed part-of' the autom'o- Y 'l,,Raised"v hollow portions 24 are formed on `thehirear part of the. cover 26 of the housing so mounted.. 23 are packnuts threaded onto :i i

bolted together as shown." The part 26 has i the hollow `shaftv 21 tightly threaded into it, l

as'bestshown in Figures 1,*and2, andforms a'support for saidshaft. Thehollow shaft .lg 21'mayfbeformed integral with the cover' 26 but is Vpreferably made as 'a f separate shaft; The part 27 kof the housingis'bolted n l eitherfjdirectly to the .crank shaft,` or as is vshown in Figure 1, to the fly wheel by means of the flange 12a.

The plunger constraining member 28 has a plurality of recesses or races 29 formed therein, in which the plungers 30 slide. 31 is a plate having a plurality of raised cylindrically-shaped portions 32 formed on its outer face in which slide valves 41 are slidably mounted.

Suitably spaced bolts 33 threaded into thek inner face 27 a of the housing 27 and passed through the holes 34in the member 28 and the holes 35 in the plate 31, form means of suitably securing said members 28 and 31 to the face 27 a of the housing 27 and effectively preventing leakage of oil between either the on each plunger 30 and slidably mounted inY said groove, thus connecting, saidy eccentric ring 37 to each plunger 30. It will be noted t Lthat when the shaft 16V is rotated, the eccentric will impart a reciprocating vmotion c to the plungers 30 in the recesses 29.

40are openings or ports'formed-in'the plate 31 and forming a communication between each of the recesses or cylinders 29 and the oil-filled space 53. 42 is a ring loosely mounted on the shaft 16 and connected to each slide or piston valve 41 by meanszof the y yconnecting rods 43 pivotally connected lat one end to the ring and at the other end to the corresponding valve 41. Y 44 `are `pins formed on the ring 42 to which the.rods. 20 Vare suitably secured. A needle valve 45Kis seated in an opening 49a formed in each of the plungers 30. The valve is springheld in its closed position by the compressionl spring `46 bearing againstr the shoulder 45a formed on the needle valve andthe plate 48 secured to the end of the plunger by the screws 47. An opening 49 formed in the, plunger 30 connects the opening 49a with the recesses 51 formed in the member 28. A holeor opening 50 formedin the upper portion of c theplunger connects the opening 49a with the opening 40 former in the plate 31. v52 are holes formedY in the plate 31 connecting the .oil-filled recesses 51 formed in the member 28 and the oil-filled space 53 formed between the housingportion 26 andthe plate 31. In order to allow for the expansion of the liquid in the space 53,` a plurality Aof orifices V are formed in the inner rface of the portion 26 of the housing at regular intervals and equidistant from the central axis.

A flexible plate or diaphragm 61 is placed over each of said orifices and sealed at the edges thereof and secured in place by the screws 62. Then the liquid in the space 53 expands on being heated,'the diaphragm is depressed into the orifice or depression 60.

Operation: The casing is filled with oil, the space 53, the ports 40, the cylinders 29, the holes 49, 49EL and 52 and the recesses 51 being completely filled, or in other words, all space within the casing being completely filled withv oil. As the casing is rotated over the shaft 16, or in other words, as one rotatedrelative to the other, the eccentric block 37 is rotated over the eccentric 36, causingthe plungers 30 to reciprocate in their respective cylinders. The outward motion of'each plunger is resisted by the il oil contained in its corresponding cylinder, the resistance thus offered being determined by the rate of fiow Iof the oil through the corresponding port 40. If the ports are closer, then the oil cannot escape through lthe ports'intoy the space 53 and the eccentric block 37 becomes'locked against any motion relative to the eccentric 36, thus rotating the eccentric and the shaft 16 therewith; in ,A

other words, when the ports are closed, the .plungers cannot reciprocate `in their cylinders and the shaft 16 or driven member Yrotates with the casing or' driving member.

lf the ports are open, the oil in the cylinders will only resist theV outward motion of the plungers to the extent of the resistance offered bythe oil as it flows out through the ports and into the space 53.

" Thus with the transmission in forward cr reverse and the ports 40 closed, the I' ing to the rate of flow of the oil through the ports, the torque capacityv of the engine increasing accordingly. It will be seen here Vthat whereas in the usual driving of motor vehicles, the speed ratio has to be changed when subjecting the engine to an` increased torque, by means of the usual transmissionsay from third to first and then to third again-this clutch is operated to simply open the ports 40 by pressing down or forwardly upon the pedal 14, thus decreasing the speed ratio; by next releasing the pedal gradually, the speed ratio between the driving` and driven members is gradually increased and the torque accordingly decreased. As oil is forced into the oilfilled space 53 the excess oil in said space is forced out through the holes 52 and into the lrecesses 51. As the plungers recede in their cylinders, the oil' in the spaces or holes 49 and 491 forces its way into the gylinders through theivalVES 4:5, the SpiLCGSY .r1 v 49 being fed from the recesses 51. v

What I claim is: l. In a power transmissiomja liquid-tight 5 casing rotating with the crank shaft of an engine and forming the driving member f of said transmission, a shaft kjournalled in saidv casing and forming the driven mem-V .ber of said transmission, a disc secured Withi in` said casing and vformed VWith plunger races, a circular plate secured to said disc 'f and having ports therethrough, an eccentric rigid on saids'haft, an eccentricblock mounted on said eccentric, plungers slidably connected to said yeccentric block and slid# able in said races, a lubricating liquid filling said casing, valvesadjustably closing said ports, and means for4 feeding said liquidinto'said casing.

i 2. yIn a power transmission, a liquid-tight casing rotating Withthe crank shaft ofanVY engine and formingthe driving member of, l

said transmission, a shaft journalledin said casing and yforming lthe driven member of said'transmission, a disc secured Within said casing and formed kWith plunger races, a circular plate secured t0 said disc and having ports therethrough, an eccentric rigid on said shaft, an eccentric block mounted on, said eccentric, plungers slidably connected to said eccentric blockl and slidable inl saidy races, a lubricatingfliquid iilling saidcasing, valves adjustably closing saidl ports, recesses formed .in said casing,'flexiblekdia phragms secured oversaid recessesat the edges thereof, and means for feeding saidliquid into said casing. f

Signed at the town of Smiths Falls, this u 30th day lof May, 1928. f 40 LEONARD KEITH CHESWRIGI-I'I.

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